FERPA Annual Notice to Reflect Possible Federal and State Data Collection and Use
As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records — including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information — may be accessed without your consent.
First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution.
Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research.
Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities.
In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities
may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from
your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other
programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain
from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment
insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and student records
systems.
Communications with Students
Written communications from the University are sent directly to the students, unless otherwise stipulated (i.e. code of conduct). Students account statements are available on CampusWeb. Student grades are obtained on CampusWeb after the grading period has closed. Every student is assigned a mailbox, email, and voice mail (upon request) and is required to check them frequently.
Information Requested
The University gathers information in a variety of areas. Explanation of some of these may be helpful. Citizenship must be indicated as we are bound by federal law to provide information certification for citizenship for citizens of the United States and foreign counties.
Dependent/Independent status is determined by whether or not a student’s parents have claimed them as dependent on their federal tax return in compliance with Internal Revenue Service regulations. This is a provision of FERPA and the University will consider all students dependent unless otherwise documented.
Veterans or dependents of veterans eligible for the various programs of educational assistance must indicate their status and submit certain documents to the Office of the Registrar. It is most important that this process be completed promptly as no benefits can be certified until documentation is complete.
University Advancement gathers information and maintains a file on student’s parents for contact with them for important events such as Family Day and distribution of various University publications, including Parents Newsletter and Pierce Magazine. In addition, this file is used to enlist parent’s support in a number of University activities.
Photographs are taken at university programs and activities, and may be used at the University’s discretion in publications.
